After warning the people of Zarahemla to repent and revealing signs of the Savior’s upcoming birth and death, Samuel the Lamanite provides and empowering and sobering overview of agency. He was clearly a student of the scriptures, including the words of Book of Mormon prophets who had preceded him. Here are his words about choice and consequence, together with similar earlier passages which he appears to be quoting:
| Samuel the Lamanite | Related passages |
|---|---|
| “Whosoever will believe might be saved, and… whosoever will not believe, a righteous judgment might come upon them” (Helaman 14:29). | “All these things are done that a righteous judgment might come upon the children of men” (Mosiah 3:10) “If ye do all these things…ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again” (Alma 41:14). |
| “And also if they are condemned they bring upon themselves their own condemnation” (Helaman 14:29). | “I would that ye should see that they brought upon themselves the curse; and even so doth every man that is cursed bring upon himself his own condemnation” (Alma 3:19). |
| “And now remember, remember, my brethren, that whosoever perisheth, perisheth unto himself; and whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto himself” (Helaman 14:30). | “O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it” (Mosiah 2:41). “O remember, remember, my son Helaman, how strict are the commandments of God” (Alma 37:13). “O remember, remember, my sons…” (Helaman 5:9, 12). |
| “For behold, ye are free; ye are permitted to act for yourselves; for behold, God hath given unto you a knowledge and he hath made you free” (Helaman 14:30). | “The children of men…have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon” (2 Nephi 2:26). “Cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves” (2 Nephi 10:23). |
| “He hath given unto you that ye might know good from evil, and he hath given unto you that ye might choose life or death” (Helaman 14:31). | “They are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil” (2 Nephi 2:27). “To choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life” (2 Nephi 10:23). |
| “And ye can do good and be restored unto that which is good, or have that which is good restored unto you; or ye can do evil, and have that which is evil restored unto you” (Helaman 14:31). | “If their works were good in this life, and the desires of their hearts were good, that they should also, at the last day, be restored unto that which is good. And if their works are evil they shall be restored unto them for evil.” (Alma 41:3-4). |
I will point out that the passage from Alma 3 in the second row is spoken by the narrator (presumably Mormon) and so that one is likely a case of Samuel influencing Mormon. All other rows, however, represent Samuel paraphrasing or quoting the words of prior Book of Mormon prophets: Lehi, Jacob, King Benjamin, Alma, and Helaman. What a powerful thing it is to see this prophet internalizing the principles taught by his predecessors and synthesizing them into such a concise and powerful message about agency.
Note the seriousness of his tone, and remember that he’s speaking to a largely unreceptive audience. “I was sent unto you to declare…glad tidings; but behold ye would not receive me,” he told them at the beginning of the sermon (Helaman 13:7). And he later called out their racist motivations: “Because I am a Lamanite…ye are angry with me and do seek to destroy me, and have cast me out from among you” (Helaman 14:10).
In that context, his words about agency are sobering. You can accept or reject the signs that are coming, he says. You can choose to do good or to to do evil. But you can’t blame anyone else for those choices. They are yours. You own them, and when you receive what you have chosen, that is a “righteous judgment.” It is just, and it is fair.
Of course, this doctrine must be understood in the context of Samuel’s central message, his “glad tidings:” If you believe in Jesus Christ and repent, you will receive a remission of your sins. You’re not burdened with your bad choices forever, only until you are willing to let them go and let the Savior heal you. But the choice to do so is ultimately yours. No one else can make that decision for you.
Today, I will be grateful for the empowerment and the burden of agency. I will remember Samuel’s testimony that God has made me free to act for myself, and that I am accountable for the consequences of my choices, including the choice to repent.
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